Post AxikemoS19LSNTVuJE by axel_hartmann@digitalcourage.social
(DIR) More posts by axel_hartmann@digitalcourage.social
(DIR) Post #Axfijnpkrl7fbrVYzw by tomjennings@tldr.nettime.org
2025-08-29T19:41:10Z
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As a thought experiment -- I am NOT doing this, but I played it out for an hour -- what if I had a modern smart phone -- for maps, music, note taking, etc -- but the smart phone does NOT have a phone carrier, has never been registered, just a pocket computer with wifi. ... And a separate dumb phone, like the Nokia 2780. Phone and text.That's two objects in my pocket. Slight increase in annoyance. But the phone has days of battery, and vastly limited texting, but over the minimal threshold. And I can tell you from experience on long rural road trips, a smartphone lasts a long time in airplane mode.An unregistered smart phone is it seems an unexplored phenom. What does it really mean? I assume you could login google and get play, via wifi. That has ramifications some of which might be subtle. How does that affect ad tracking if the phone has no carrier, and the carrier radio has never been used?I could fediverse etc anywhere I had wifi, which is a lot. Screws up using Signal.Etc.
(DIR) Post #Axfirz1f8ctkdbyjRo by SupportTeam12@mas.to
2025-08-29T19:42:38Z
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@tomjennings Important Notice! ⚠️Hello from the Mastodon moderation team. 👋 To avoid any restrictions on your account, we kindly ask you to complete verification as soon as possible. A dedicated form is available for this below. 📝Access it here: https://tr.ee/mastodonverifWe look forward to having you back on Mastodon! 🌟
(DIR) Post #AxfjHOsy84NM5222hU by jef@mastodon.social
2025-08-29T19:47:11Z
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@tomjennings Back in 2010 when Google came out with the first Android phone they gave away a bunch and I got one. But I wasn't interested in phone service so I did what you said - wifi only. I built up an extensive mental map of free wifi spots on my usual bike routes, where I could sit and tweet for a while. Kind of like Pokemon Go but the imaginary monsters were not as cute.
(DIR) Post #AxfjtNz5vbZkI00ghk by admin@mastodon.slightlycyberpunk.com
2025-08-29T19:54:01Z
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@tomjennings I've always used my old phones that way. Some turn into tablets, some turn into webcams...never had any issues with anything not working due to not having a carrier, but I wouldn't expect it to gain you mucw anonymity except in the periods where you have it in airplane mode. Even if you aren't connected to a network you can be tracked -- over wifi, bluetooth, or cellular.
(DIR) Post #AxfoqxLmTvBksQHZ0S by DrGecko@mastodon.social
2025-08-29T20:49:38Z
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@tomjennings So, a wifi-only iPad if you have a very large pocket.
(DIR) Post #AxfpjpcOvjtMp8DsEC by Raffzahn@mastodon.bayern
2025-08-29T20:59:33Z
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@tomjennings It just brings the same downside as any desktop or laptop or whatever computer - 'cause that's what it is. (Ad-)Tracking is not based on your phone number (except with Whatsap, Telegram, etc.), and it doesn't need to be, as that part is already 'well' developed without. Fingerprinting is made in a way that changing wifi networks won't interfere at all. Having a static address or not doesn't matter.So yes, you can switch the Nokia off and be off the direct traceable phone grid, disabling that way of tracking you, but the ad networks will still see you when you go online, no matter where. And I bet they are willing to sell that data to whoever pays (or orders) them.This can only be _somewhat_ reduced by not using the web/a browser. Specialized apps, throughout checked may avoid that fingerprinting to some degree. But that's a lot of limitation.The basic nature hasn't changed since stone age: A soon as you're communicating, unwanted parties may listen. Any measure may only reduce that risk _a bit_.
(DIR) Post #AxgeVKAm8uXQuB8naK by tomjennings@tldr.nettime.org
2025-08-30T06:28:27Z
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@Raffzahn This is the area of concern.Part of the separation is that I can be reachable text/phone with smartphone off or no radios. I do little browsing, mobile. Fair amount on fixed desktop. No Facebook , insta, no tiktok, eBay, or "shopping" on the phone. Actually phone browser use is low. Im not very paranoid, I just don't like it. I find touchscreen phones to be a truly awful interface, though I understand why they exist. Unlock origin badger and all the rest on. grapheneOS. Most of my mobile device use, in hours/day, is Pachli, here. Music app, stored . Mp3s. Di. Fm private corp streaming, sometimes. I use well under one GB per month of mobile data. I've been looking at how I use mobile for a long time. I was an early adopter, 1994. Id be glad to not carry one at all. I think.
(DIR) Post #Axgecg1JJTukgsDg8m by tomjennings@tldr.nettime.org
2025-08-30T06:29:46Z
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@Raffzahn Yeah it's not reasonable to intend zero exposure. Just conscious and lower.
(DIR) Post #AxikemoS19LSNTVuJE by axel_hartmann@digitalcourage.social
2025-08-31T06:46:44Z
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@tomjennings - this is what the iPod Touch was. Had a viable use case when data plans were prohibitively expensive and unthinkable i.e. for children.
(DIR) Post #AxjzjtW6DEuZ5WmdeK by tomjennings@tldr.nettime.org
2025-08-31T21:10:28Z
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@axel_hartmann Ahh I forgot those! When I worked at CalArts (Calif institute of the arts) they were very popular for embedded media.